Baalbek hasn’t finished puzzling us with its mysteries. This time, it’s the Temple of Jupiter revealing the ancient remains of a child from the Intermediate Bronze era, which is about 1800 BC. With the news going viral on social media with misinformation, the Ministry of Culture stepped in with a public statement, shedding some light on the discovery.
The news of that discovery has been exaggerated on social media in regards to the bones’ age, claiming that the excavated remains belonged to a child from 7200 B.C. and that it’s the largest discovery of the modern century. The ministry statement was hence issued to counter the social media’s inaccurate reports.
In its statement, the Ministry explained that a German delegation has been conducting excavation works in the temple of Jupiter of Baalbek, under the supervision of the ministry’s Directorate General of Antiquities, and according to the laws, regulations, and decrees governing excavations and archaeological excavations. As per the ministry, these works are expected to conclude later this month.
The statement confirmed that these human bones are from around 1800 B.C. and not as being shared on social media: “These excavations resulted in the discovery of human bones of a child found in the Intermediate Bronze era (around 1800 BC), with the exact time to be determined after the study of the found collection.”
@livelovebaalbeckThe Ministry of Culture – Directorate General of Antiquities also stressed that “any archaeological discovery in the city of Baalbeck will contribute to shed light on the ancient history of the City of the Sun.”
The ministry also asked everyone to be careful when publishing scientific archaeological information, thanking all those who are interested in the national heritage, and expressing willingness to provide them with accurate information on this subject or other topics centered on cultural heritage.
Baalbek is a city located east of the Litani River in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, northeast of Beirut, and is the capital of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate.
This city is home to the Baalbek temple complex which includes two of the largest and grandest Roman temple ruins: The Temple of Bacchus and the Temple of Jupiter. It was inscribed in 1984 as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
